Harpswell residents adorned in blue and yellow, eager bidders, and the spirit of charity filled Centennial Hall during a June 12 fundraiser to support the people of Ukraine.
The third edition of the fundraiser netted more than $31,000 to buy medical equipment for the city of Chuhuiv, near Kharkiv and the Russian border. The event, organized by Jerry Klepner and Connie Sage Conner, has now raised more than $100,000 in three years.
“The outpouring of support by the people here has just been mind-blowing,” Klepner said. “To look at all the money that they have donated in three years is just wonderful.”
The Russia-Ukraine war is “very personal” to Klepner, as he was named after a grandfather who came from Kyiv. Three years ago, when he was watching television, the thought struck him: “We really need to do something about this.”
Klepner reached out to Sage Conner, and the two of them organized a fundraiser to send money to humanitarian organizations providing relief to the Ukrainian people. The first event raised about $46,000.
Last year, the organizers connected with the city of Chuhuiv and Mayor Galina Minayeva. The $26,000 raised in Harpswell was sent to Chuhuiv through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and used to purchase vehicles to facilitate humanitarian aid.
This year, the city needed to replace medical equipment in its only hospital, which was damaged in a Russian missile strike.
“Each year has been a different dynamic, but the constant is the generosity of the people,” Klepner said.
This year’s fundraiser included drinks and hors d’oeuvres in a packed Centennial Hall. A silent auction allowed people to bid on paintings, photos, quilts, pottery and other donated art.
A live auction, hosted by former state Sen. Brownie Carson, of Harpswell, was centered around experiences. They included a paella dinner, which sold for $625; a 30-minute flight over Harpswell, which sold for $425; and the delivery of a pie or tart every month for a year, which sold for $450.
Dawna Smith, of Harpswell, donated the “Casco Bay Delight” experience, which included a champagne brunch for eight. As a caterer, Smith said she always donates something that involves food.
“I’ve been to Ukraine. It’s a beautiful country, and they’re invaded,” Smith said. “I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to support Ukraine.”
Klepner said he hopes this is the event’s last year, but if the war continues, so will the fundraiser.
“Given all the dissension in the world and given all of the anger in the world, to see a community come together to help people in a foreign country is literally what this country should be all about,” Klepner said. “It’s just heartwarming.”
